The Fire
by ShadowShinigami2250
Summary: Maka and Soul get into a fight that has deeper consequences than they could have ever predicted.
1. Chapter 1

"Ugh! You're unbelievable! This is why no one likes you and why no one can tolerate you for very long! You're so bossy and demanding!" Soul shouted.

Maka was fuming to the point she couldn't voice a coherent reply. _How DARE he! I can't decide if verbally or physically attacking him would be more satisfying,_ she though. The two stared at each other, full of anger, in the kitchen of their shared apartment. Neither one made a move or sound until Maka lowered her head and quietly said, "That's it. I'm leaving." She turned and walked towards the door, grabbing her winter coat and scarf on the way. Soul relaxed, but his pride couldn't bring him to say anything. Maka opened the door and looked over her shoulder with her back still turned to Soul and said coldly, "Don't expect me back tonight." She walked out and slammed the door.

Soul unclenched his fists and rested his hands on the counter top where he was making a snack. He sighed, "Another fight. Seems I'll have the apartment to myself again tonight. That's the third time this month already."

Maka was stomping around on the side walk, ranting out loud. "Really!? Did he have to go that far? All I wanted was for him to put the lid back on the mayo jar _immediately_ after he got the amount he needed for his sandwich! It's disgusting to leave it open! Leaving it open is just ASKING for bacteria to invite itself in and make a home! He'll get sick from his carelessness! I've only told him a HUNDRED times. I guess this is the thanks I get for being concerned. Mayo isn't healthy anyway. Doesn't he know that?! And people do too like me! Who does he think I go to when we get into these fights? My friends who _actually_ care about me." During her rant she found her way to Black star and Tsubaki's house. Of course, she was mainly there to rant at Tsubaki. She was a great friend that always let Maka blow off some steam without judging her for it. Maka knocked on the door.

She heard a muffled "YAHOO!" from the other side of the house and then what sounded like running. _Oh no, please don't let him answer!_ she thought.

The door swung open. "Who is it that wishes to visit their God today?!" Black star shouted.

Maka looked like she had a head ache from restraining herself from telling him how annoying he was but politely asked, "Hi, Black star. Is Tsubaki home?"

Tsubaki came up from behind Black star and pushed him out of the way. "Sorry about that Maka. Please come in," she said with her usual peaceful smile.

Maka entered the charming abode. "Thank you, Tsubaki."

"Is something wrong? You look upset." Tsubaki questioned.

Maka sighed. "Ugh, yeah. Soul and I got into another fight over something stupid and he said I was bossy and demanding. That jerk," she scowled.

"Well, let me make some tea and we'll go to my room and talk about it, OK?" Tsubaki offered.

"Let me take your coat. It would be wrong for a God to not take care of his underlings in his own house!" Black star demanded while pulling on Maka's coat.

Already having a short supply of patience, Maka was in no mood for Black star's antics. "Stop it, Black star! I can take my own coat off!" she yelled.

Black star let go of his grip and mumbled, "Geez. Soul is right. You are bossy. "

…

Maka froze in pure rage. She readjusted her coat from Black star's meddling, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Tsubaki realized how deeply Black star's words must have struck a chord in Maka. "I'm so sorry, Maka. Please, let's just go to my room now."

Maka exhaled loudly. "It's OK, Tsubaki. On second thought I think I just need to be alone." Maka turned and walked back to the door. Tsubaki glared at Black star. He gulped, realizing he must have said something wrong if even Tsubaki is angry with him.

"Maka, I – " he began.

"It's OK. I'm not mad. I just need to be alone." Maka said and walked out the door. This is the second time she's walked out on someone today, but this time she gently closed the door, fearful she would seem irrational otherwise.

While she walked down the street she wondered if maybe she was too bossy and if it was her fault she has trouble getting along with people sometimes. Wondering what to do next, she settled on visiting Gallow's Manor- to visit Liz, Patty, or Kid. She didn't care. She wasn't as close with them as she was with Tsubaki, but maybe that's what she needed. A distraction. To be around people who weren't comfortable delving into her personal life.

As she approached the mansion, she could clearly hear yelling even though she was just entering the driveway.

"LIZ! How could you cut Patty's bangs without my consent!? They're horribly asymmetric now!" Maka could clearly hear Kid yelling.

"Excuse me! I've been cutting my little sister's hair her whole life! I know what I'm doing!"

Maka reconsidered. "Uhhh, on second thought I don't think I want to deal with this." She turned around and walked back into the city.

Back at the apartment, Soul sat in a kitchen chair by the heater. The sun was setting and in the desert winter climate that means it gets cold fast. Soul was lost in thought. _I did say some uncool things. It's so cold out. I think I should go look for her._ He grabbed his coat and went out the door. Walking out on the street he mentally planned his itinerary of places to check. _If I were Maka where would I be? Well, I guess I would be here. It would only change WHO I am, not WHERE I am. Did I forget to turn off the heater? Aaaah, like anything bad will happen. Anyway, obviously, first stop: library._

Maka decided her best bet at any peace tonight would be to return home and hopefully sneak into her room without Soul noticing. As she approached the apartment building, it began to lightly rain. _Great. 34 degrees (F) and rain. Just a few degrees colder and at least it would be snow. Just the perfect way to end my horrible day. _She thought in quiet misery. She quietly approached her shared apartment and listened carefully for any commotion inside. _He's either out or in his room it seems._ She slowly opened the door and noticed all the lights were out. Walking through the living room she noticed his coat was gone. _Guess he's not here. _She went into the kitchen and took off her damp coat and placed it on the back of a kitchen chair to dry and then took off her scarf and draped it over the same chair, one end unknowingly landing on the heater. She snatched a snack from the fridge and retreated to her room. It was only 7:00 PM but she was so emotionally and physically exhausted she didn't care.

Shortly after Maka drifted to sleep, Soul returned home. He took off his coat and casually threw it on the couch and immediately went to his room. He sat on his bed staring at his cell phone. _She wasn't in the library, the book store, that lame indie coffee shop the nerds hang out at… Man, she made me go to a lot of uncool places – even school on a Saturday!- trying to find her. Maybe I should call her? Or maybe her friends? Nah, I'm not that needy. She's _Maka_. She'll be alright. She's probably at Tsubaki's cooling off. She'll be back in the morning cooking breakfast like nothing happened. Just like last time._ Soul frowned. "Well, might as well just hit the hay." He thought out loud and went to bed without even bothering to change his clothes.

In what felt like seconds to Soul after he rested his head on the pillow, he heard an unfamiliar earsplitting beeping coming from inside the apartment. "Whaa-?" he questioned groggily. "The smoke detector!" He leapt out of bed and flung his bedroom door open. The kitchen was engulfed in flames. The fire was spreading to the door of Maka's bedroom, seeing as it was the closed room to the kitchen. Remember she wasn't home, he immediately evacuated the apartment. _Shit. Is this my fault for forgetting to turn off the heater? I guess it's weird to say I'm happy Maka and I got in that fight or she'd be toast right now. Aw, geez, that's such an uncool pun._ He thought as he ran down the stairs, pulling an emergency fire alarm along the way.

Out on the side walk he checked his phone. It was 9:00 PM. _Good. Blair is still at work. But I have to find Maka first. Then I'll fill Blair in. _He first called Maka's cell phone- straight to voice mail. _Dammit._ He decided to run in the direction of the home of Black star and Tsubaki, while simultaneously calling them.

"Hello. Tsubaki speaking."

"Is Maka there?!" Soul shouted, skipping formalities.

"Soul? No. She left. What's going on?"

"The apartment's on fire. I need to find her. Do you know where she went?" Soul asked hurriedly.

Black star entered the room. "What's happening? Is Soul looking for Maka? I saw her go to Kid's house."

"How would you know that?" Tsubaki wondered.

"I felt kinda bad for ticking her off. I just wanted to make sure she was OK. So I followed her…"

"Tsubaki! Tell me where she went!" Soul demanded, getting aggravated he was being ignored.

"Sorry. Black star said she went to Kid's house."

Getting the answer he desired, he immediately hung up and started running to Gallow's Manor. "SHIT! I don't have any one of those three's phone numbers!" He voiced his frustration of not thinking ahead.

He decided to call Maka again – voicemail.

He called Black star and Tsubaki's house again. Maybe they have one of the trio's numbers. – no answer.

Soul ran even faster, the frigid air and pitch black of night not fazing him at all.

He called Maka again – voicemail.

He called Black star's cell – no answer.

He called Maka – voicemail.

He called Tsubaki's cell – no answer.

_They must be out looking for her, too._

Black star was running through the city by rooftop, holding Tsubaki in weapon form. "Why are we going to Maka and Soul's apartment if you saw her go to Kid's house?" Tsubaki questioned.

"To be honest, I just saw her reach the driveway of the house. I never hung around to see her go in. Soul is probably heading that way now. There's no sense in all of us running that way. If she isn't there then she'll be at home or going home soon." Black star responded while still sprinting.

"You know, others say you act stupid, but when it comes down to it you really think things through," Tsubaki complimented.

"Never underestimate your God," Black star assertively replied, while approaching the blazing apartment building.

Soul reached the property line of Gallow's Manor and took a brief moment to catch his breath. He had run so fast for so long he could barely stand. His body was functioning on pure adrenaline at this point. He was shaking all over, gasping for air, and his legs were tingling and about to give out. He called Maka's cell once again. "_Sorry, I missed your call. But whatever you have to say is important to me. So please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Have a great day!" _Unable to walk at the moment, he decided to leave a message: "Maka," he gasped for breath, "Please… when you get this… call me… I can't find you…. I'm worried." He hung up and ran to the front door and banged on the door until someone answered.

Kid opened the door, nearly getting his faced punched by Soul's pounding fist. "Soul! What is this about!?" he asked, annoyed at the disturbance.

"Is Maka here?!" He shouted while inviting himself in and looking around.

"No. I haven't seen nor heard from her at all today," Kid responded and looked at the sisters for verification.

"Yeah, no. I haven't seen her." Liz added.

"Me neither." Patty said.

Soul growled "Ahhh! This is just great! She didn't just disappear! So either something happened to her on the way here, she went someplace I haven't thought of, or….." Soul froze, eyes widening in fear. "NO."

"Um, what's going on?" Liz asked.

"NO! She's at the apartment! The one that I _left_… burning to the ground!" Soul ran out the door as fast as he came while shouting "no, no, no, no, no!" He ran back towards the apartment building while lamenting in words to himself "How could I let this happen?! This is all my fault. If she…. " he gulped, "If anything happens to her…" He remembered the last words he spoke to her: _This is why no one likes you and why no one can tolerate you for very long! You're so bossy and demanding!_ "Those will be the last words she ever heard from me. I won't have the chance to say I'm sorry. To take it all back. To tell her really how much I care about her…."

At that moment, he reached the apartment building. There was a blockade of emergency vehicles. As he tried to run towards the apartment building, a couple of police officers grabbed him. "Let me go! I think my friend is still in there!" Soul demanded.

"You can't. It's unsafe. Let the firefighters do their job and don't get in the way, got it?" One police officer ordered.

"Soul!"

Soul looked in the direction of the female voice. He saw Blair, then Tsubaki, and Black star with worried looks, standing near an ambulance. Soul broke free from the officer's grip and ran over to find Maka on a stretcher getting loading into the ambulance. First noticeable were that both legs were splinted, presumed broken from jumping out her second story bedroom window. Next Soul noticed her pajamas were singed and torn in placed. There were dark patches on her clothes and skin.

But her eyes were what were most shocking. Even though she was weak and barely conscious, she stared right at Soul. Her unrelenting gaze on him held nothing but anger. No, it was deeper than that; _hatred._

* * *

__AN: So, I never thought I'd write a SoMa, but it does come with a slight price you see (trouble in "paradise.") Cookies for you, if you can spot the line I stole from TFS. XD  
This fic was "inspired" by that one Inuyasha episode. I can't remember the name (it's been awhile) but I know its one of the first few episodes.

And, disclaimer, if it needs to be said: I don't own Soul Eater (or Inuyasha, or TFS)


	2. Chapter 2

As Maka was loaded into the ambulance, Soul felt a battle of different emotions inside of him. Relief, that she was relatively OK. Regret, from what he had said earlier. Guilt, that she was hurt and he abandoned her. Confusion, that she could look at him with those hate-filled eyes. Maka was a caring and forgiving person; for her to hate anyone was unheard of, but the deep fury that was revealed in her eyes could only be described as such.

The ambulance doors closed and Soul got a glimpse through the windows of Maka closing her eyes as an oxygen mask was placed on her face. "We'll be taking her downtown. You kids need a ride?" one of the paramedics asked.

"No thanks. I'll follow," Soul replied, still a bit stunned. "Blair, you can ride with me."

"HA! I can BEAT you to the hospital on my own two feet!" Black star scoffed.

Soul jogged to his motorcycle which was in a parking spot nearby outside the apartment building. "Wait Soul!" Blair called after him. When she reached him at his motorcycle she held out something and asked "Can you hold this? I don't have any pockets." She was holding out a cell phone with a cracked screen. It was evidently currently useless, but potentially salvageable. "A paramedic gave it to me. They think it's Maka's. It was near her when they found her in the street," she said sadly while looking down.

Soul's heart skipped a beat as he felt a pang of guilt at the last sentence. He imagined her lifeless body fading in the street while he was nowhere around to help her. "Yeah, sure," he answered as he gently took the phone and pocketed it.

…At the hospital…

Soul and Blair arrived in Maka's hospital room to find Tsubaki, Black star, Kid, Patty, and Liz already there. "How did you guys know to come here?" Soul asked Kid.

"We were heading to your apartment when we ran into Black star and he told us of Maka's condition."

"OK you guys! You need to clear out! She only just got here." A bossy nurse demanded. "She'll be fine, but she needs x-rays and for her wounds to be addressed."

Another nurse approached the large group of friends and gave them a friendly smile, as if to apologize for her co-worker's stern behavior. "Don't worry. She's in good hands now. I'll take you to the waiting room and we'll be sure to keep you updated."

The group obeyed orders and began to follow the nurse out of the room. Soul hung back a little and before completely exiting the room he took another look at Maka resting in her hospital bed. She opened her eyes and locked them on Soul, as if she immediately felt the unwanted attention. The hate from earlier persisted in her eyes. Just then, the doctor approached her bed, unwittingly interfering with the unspoken conflict. Soul decided to leave and quickly caught up with the rest of the group walking through the labyrinth of hallways.

"Can anyone get in touch with her parents?" The nurse was asking.

"Heh, good luck," Soul scoffed. "Her mother is out of the country and there's no way she'll want her father here."

"Well, legally we have to contact a parent or guardian. I guess her father would be easier to contact?"

"Yeah, just go walk down to the local cabaret club. I'm sure you'll find." Soul quipped. "But seriously, he has no custody of her and it won't be a pretty scene if she sees him here. I'm the one who lives with her. I can take care of her."

"Oh," the nurse quietly said, surprised about Soul's comments of her father. "Well, I guess that makes you her guardian then!" she smiled while trying to avoid the subject any longer.

_Yeah, 'guardian,'_ Soul depressingly thought.

They reached the waiting room. "Well, here you are. They're taking her x-rays now, so it'll be awhile. Bathrooms are over there. Also, we have free coffee and vending machines down that hall. Well, I mean the coffee is free. Not the vending machines, of course. You know what I mean!" She nervously laughed at the end of her babbling. "I'll be back with some updates as soon as I have them!" she said quickly and then ran off.

"What a weird one," Liz mumbled.

"Yeah, not cool," Soul concurred.

"I don't care what you think about him!" Blair yelled.

"Huh?" they all said and turned to her.

"Say what you want about him but Maka's father deserves to know about his little girl!" Blair continued with a defiant look on her face. "If you don't tell him then I'll go get him myself!"

"OK. Well, it's your funeral." Soul replied while waving her off with a turn of his hand while walking past her. Blair stomped off as the rest of the group sat down in a deserted corner of the large waiting room. The chairs were lined up against the adjoining walls and Soul, Black star and Tsubaki sat in chairs on one wall, while Kid, Liz and Patty sat in chairs on the other.

After a few moments of silence Soul sighed and spoke up, "So, does anyone know why Maka hates me?"

"Well, I wouldn't say '_hate_' – " "Yeah, what happened? Why _does_ she hate you?" Tsuabaki and Black star spoke at the same time. They had evidently picked up on her negative vibe as well. Soul sighed even louder.

"Clearly, I don't know the whole story," Kid began, "so being an unbiased observer, I would say she is angry that you 'left' her in a burning apartment building," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Hey! I didn't _leave_ her!" Soul shouted angrily.

"That's not what you said earlier!" Patty chirped.

"I mean… I didn't _know_ she was there. She said she was staying out for the night. I didn't know she came back."

"Well you should have looked anyway," Kid said unsympathetically, with his arms crossed and eyes closed in disappointment.

Soul looked at him in disbelief. He really wasn't in the mood to be told what he should or should not have done.

"That's what Maka will say," Kid continued and opened his eyes to glare at Soul, as if examining his soul.

"You're right! But I really thought she wasn't home. This isn't the first time we got in an argument and she spent the night somewhere else," Soul lamented.

The group sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes until Kid nervously began tapping his foot.

"Dude, what's your problem?" Black star asked, annoyed.

"Are you worried about Maka?" Tsubaki asked with concern.

"No. No, that's not it at all…" Kid began rambling while looking down. "I know she will be fine. I saw her. She's hurt but fine. It's something, something much… _worse_…" His eyes widened as they moved quickly, observing every inch of the room.

"Oh no…" Liz sighed as Patty began laughing.

"Huh?" Soul asked confused.

"This room is horribly asymmetric! Why would you put THREE paintings on one side of the room and TWO on the opposing wall!? And the entryway! I don't even need a measuring stick to tell you it's CLEARLY off center!" He grabbed his head as if trying to assuage a major migraine. "Not to mention we're all condensed to one corner of the room! Ohhh! I can't take it anymore!" and he ran out of the room.

"Oh, dear. I guess that's our cue to leave," Liz said embarrassed, as Patty laughed even harder. Liz stood up and took her phone out of her pocket. "Soul what's your number? I'll text you all of ours and you share with Black star and Tsubaki and text me back theirs." She looked at them for approval. All three nodded. Soul told her his number as she typed it into her phone. "Great. Now, keep us updated and don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. Tell Maka I hope she feels better!" She called out while dragging a laughing Patty behind.

Soul, Black star, and Tsubaki watched them leave in bewilderment.

"How can that be worse than Maka being injured?" Black star questioned.

"I guess he's that confident she'll be OK." Tsubaki reasoned. She's always the optimistic one. But Soul wasn't convinced.

* * *

AN: I thought this would only be a 2 chapter story but it looks like it'll be stretched out to 3! And if you remember I said yesterday that this story was inspired by an Inuyahsa episode, I did my research and found it's episode 12 "The Soul Piper and the Mischievous Little Soul" (if anyone cares)

A big thank you to all the kind reviewers! :)


	3. Chapter 3

The nurse found Soul, Black star, and Tsubaki in the waiting room. Soul was sitting in a chair staring at something in his hands. Black star was on the floor doing sit ups with Tsubaki spotting him. "You're the only three left?" the nurse asked. They nodded and she sighed from relief. "Please follow me." She turned and began to walk in the direction she came. The trio quickly followed.

"How is she? Is she going to be alright?!" Soul began panicking slightly.

"Yeah tell us! Don't withhold information from your God!" Black star demanded.

The nurse chuckled at their overreaction. "She's fine... Relatively speaking. Of course it could have been a lot worse. She'll need to stay in the hospital at least a day. One leg is broken. The other ankle is sprained. Her wrists are also sprained from impact with the ground." The nurse stopped outside the door to Maka's room. "She still has an oxygen mask on, and even if she didn't she still wouldn't be able to talk at the moment from the smoke inhalation. She's been through a lot tonight, so I recommend keeping the conversation simple." The nurse smiled comfortingly and opened the door for the visitors. They entered the room but Maka continued to stare out the hospital room window even though there was nothing to see but the dead of night.  
Soul, remembering the nurse's advice, decided he would try to lighten the mood. "So, I heard the good news: you only broke one leg."

Maka immediately locked her eyes on him and slowly turned her head away from the window to look directly at Soul. Her eyes narrowed and her expression clearly conveyed the thought, '_you REALLY didn't just say that, did you? How is that good news?_' She swiftly raised an arm and pointed at him and then forcefully pointed towards the door. Soul knew what she meant but still couldn't bring himself to respond at all. After a brief stare off, Maka looked at Tsubaki, but with her eyes more relaxed and pleading with Tsubaki to make Soul comply. Tsubaki walked over to him and gently rested her hands on his shoulders. She kindly looked in his eyes and sweetly requested, "Just let me talk to her OK?" She smiled. Soul took one more glance at Maka before leaving the room.

Maka then turned her glare towards Black star, as if daring him to say something stupid. "I think I'll go hang out with Soul..." Black said with fake confidence as he left he room. As he closed the door behind him, he saw Soul lean against the wall in the hallway and quickly pocket something.

"So what's going on in there? She kick you out, too?" Soul joked.

"Not technically. But it seems they want to have some girl talk and I'm not into that. What was that in your hand?"

"What? Nothing."

"C'mon! You can't hide secrets from me!" Black star demanded while trying to reach Soul's arm to pull his hand that was obviously holding something out of his pocket. Soul swatted him away with his free hand. "I told you it was nothing! Buzz off will ya?!"

Of course, "the mighty Black star" was easily able to maneuver around Soul's lackluster swats and hooked Soul's occupied arm at the elbow. Soul's hand came out of his pocket from the force of the blow and he lost his grip on the item he was holding. It fell to the floor with a clatter. Black star looked down at it.

"Is that a cell phone? It's so beat up I can hardly tell." Black star jeered.

"It's Maka's," Soul said sourly while picking it up. He stood up and looked at it with a longing expression on his face.

"Dude, that's creepy," Black star stated.

"Huh?"

"Why do you have Maka's phone? And why are you so attached to it?" Black star asked, surprisingly serious for a moment.

"Blair gave it to me after the... Before we came to the hospital." Soul tried his best not to have to think of the horrifying ordeal, but all the thoughts he was trying to keep buried came flooding in. "She won't let me get anywhere near her. I wasn't there for her when she needed me most and now she won't let me be there to comfort her. When I look at this thing..." he squeezed the phone tighter, "and how useless and damaged it is, it just reminds me how close I came to losing her. And how it would have all been my fault. I don't blame her for hating me."

* * *

AN: I KNOW I KNOW, I said there's only be one more chapter! But my sis and I decided to go to the movies on the spur of the moment right now (To see Monster's University) so I thought I'd be nice and go ahead and post what I've done already (that's why it's so short). Really, honestly, just one more chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: So here it finally is.. the last chapter! Sorry for the wait. Computer problems, work, Fourth of July, other random excuses. Please read an important message at the end. Enjoy!

* * *

"Dude…." Black star responded unsure of what to say.

There was a sudden scream approaching from down the hallway, "MAKAAAAAA!"

"Sorry! Excuse me! Worried father coming through!" Blair apologized for the disturbance while running behind Spirit. He stopped running and bent over to place his hands on his knees to catch his breath for a moment. He straightened up and began walking towards her door. "Don't worry, Maka. Papa is here now to make sure everything is alright," he said mainly to himself.

Soul grabbed him by his suit sleeve as he walked by. "I really don't think that's a good idea," Soul advised.

Spirit glared at Soul. "Listen- my daughter, whom I love very much, is hurt and nearly died. I know she doesn't want me around but if that's not going to stop me, then a punk like you certainly won't. Got it, boy?" Soul was surprised at Spirit's assertiveness and let go of him. Still in his serious mood, Spirit slowly opened the hospital room door. He saw Maka sitting up and leaning into Tsubaki who was standing beside her bed. Tsubaki was hugging and comforting Maka, who was crying heavily. Spirit slowly retreated and closed the door quietly. He nervously smiled at Soul and said in his usual untroubled demeanor, "On second thought, you might be right, Soul. I'm not good around crying women!"

"What?!" Soul growled.

"Maka's crying?!" Black star questioned.

"Here, Blair," Spirit said while handing her money. "Can you get Maka a card and some flowers? Maybe some other little gift for me? Tell her Papa loves her~!" he sang.

"What's with all the talk just a moment ago?!" Soul asked angrily.

"Well, she looks OK. I don't want to interrupt Tsubaki comforting her," he excused while beginning to walk away. One hand was in his pocket and the other gave a quick departing wave over his shoulder.

A nurse approached him before he even made it down the hallway and around the corner. "You're Mr. Albarn, right? Maka's father? You were the one shouting it through the halls right?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that," he smiled and scratched the back of his neck.

"It's ok," she brushed it off, "I'm glad you came by. The doctor said that she should be able to be released tomorrow evening as long as there are no complications."

"That's great. Thanks for telling me," he said happily as he began to walk off.

"WAIT!" she called after him. Spirit paused. "Due to her severe injuries she needs to be released to someone who will be able to take care of her while she heals. She's basically bed-ridden for the moment. She said she would like to go home with you, stating, and I quote, you were the lesser of two evils."

Everyone's jaw dropped and there was stunned silence.

"What?! She chose me?!" Spirit asked stunned, his top half turned around towards the nurse, but his feet were frozen in place.

"Wow… she must really hate you," Black star whispered to Soul.

"Shut up," Soul replied angrily. "She didn't choose you either."

"Hmm.. Well that must be because she knows a big star like me has missions to do!" Black star replied. He was right. Maka knew her recovery was going to be a long one, and being the selfless person she is, she didn't want to hold anyone back from their missions. That left either Soul or her father to take care of her. There's no way would she entrust her life to Soul again she had thought.

"Alright! Tell her I'll be back tomorrow evening!" He said confidently as he skipped happily down the hall and out of sight.

Soul was devastated. _I have to convince her I truly care for her but how?_ he thought.

The nurse spoke to the group now, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you all to leave now. Visiting hours have actually been over for quite a while. Now that you know she's stable, you should go home and get some rest."

Tsubaki entered the hallway, closing Maka's hospital room door quietly behind her. "How is she?" Soul asked urgently.

"She's finally asleep," Tsubaki said quietly and smiled.

"Soul, you can come crash with us, buddy! Right, Tsubaki?" Black star offered.

Tsubaki smiled. "That would be wonderful. We'd love to have you."

_Good, it looks like Maka didn't convince her to hate me. Or is that even possible for Tsubaki to hate anyone? Ah, anyway, at least I have a chance at getting through to Maka with Tsubaki, _Soul thought, but then realized he's not the only one homeless. He turned to Blair, "Um, what about Blair?"

"It's OK! I already talked with some of the girls from work! They'll let me room with them for a while," she said just as cheerful as ever.

"Great. I'm glad to hear it, " Soul replied. "I guess I'll be seeing you then. Good night."

"Wait, Soul!" Blair stopped him from leaving. "Here, you should take this and get Maka those gifts her Papa asked for." She handed him the money, remembering what happened last time she was entrusted with running an errand for Spirit.

"Oh, thanks. Maybe it'll help me get on Maka's good side." Soul took the money.

"Yeah, that's it! Nya~!" she cheered him on.

…The next day, at the hospital…

Soul stood outside Maka's hospital room, prepping himself with what he would say to her. He imagined all the different scenarios that could possibly happen but he was determined to make Maka listen to him. Tsubaki had already visited a little earlier today to get Maka in a better mood for Soul to have a chance at talking to her. Soul took a deep breath and knocked on the hospital door and slowly opened it. He entered only about two steps…

"Get out." Her voice was low and cracked, but it still conveyed her anger and hatred nonetheless.

"Not until you hear what I have to say," Soul said determinedly.

Silence.

"Look, I didn't know you were home. I thought you were still out-"

"You should have checked anyway!" She shouted to the best of her ability.

_Damn Kid for being right._ Soul thought. "I realize that. And I deeply regret it. No, regret isn't a strong enough word…"

"Save it, Soul. Not only did you say those horrible things to me, but then you didn't care enough to check if I was stuck in the fire."

"DID YOU EVER STOP AND THINK ABOUT HOW THAT MADE ME FEEL?!" Soul shouted. Maka first looked shocked he would yell at her, but then her face contorted into anger while she opened her mouth to speak. "Wait. Just let me finish." Soul said hurriedly. "I know you had to have been terrified being alone. Thinking of you like that puts a hole in my heart. But have you realized how worried _I_ was running around Death City twice to find you? How scared I was when I realized you had to have been back home?"

"Twice?" she questioned.

"Yes. Once before the fire and once after." Soul seemed to have reached her for a moment but it was short lived.

"That doesn't change the fact you selfishly ran out of the apartment!" she yelled, trying to win the argument.

"'_Selfish?_' I was running looking for you! Stop thinking about yourself for a moment and realize all the effort I put in to try and find you!"

"I was calling for you out the window! I saw you running away down the sidewalk. I never felt so alone and abandoned. We're supposed to be partners! How could you not sense I was there?" she cried while her voice began to crack from more than just the smoke inhalation.

"Maka, how could I have known you were there? You said you were leaving for the night and I never saw you return. I'm excited you think of me as an all-knowing being, but I'm not. Why do all women have to exaggerate every situation?" he replied sarcastically.

"'_Exaggerate?_' You think this is a joke? It's no big deal I had to choose between burning to death or jumping out a window?" She put her face into her hands and began to cry.

Soul hadn't thought about it like that. _Maybe I've gotten too relaxed about the situation now that she's safe_, he thought. "Look, I messed up big time, but I'm here now, willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to you," Soul said sincerely.

"Just get out. My father should be here soon," she requested, with hatred in her voice.

"Alright. Since that's what you want, I'll leave. But I really want you to know how sorry I am and how much I care for you." She kept her head down and her eyes closed, ignoring him. Soul reached into his pocket and placed her cell phone and a phone charger on the hospital bed. "I got your cell phone fixed for you. And a new charger." Actually, he paid for it with Spirit's money. She still didn't move, nor open her eyes. "I guess I'll leave now."

Soul sulked out and Maka only opened her eyes when she heard the door shut. She reached for her phone and turned it on to find three new voicemails.

"_First unheard message:_

"_Hi Maka, It's Tsubaki. I'm sorry about Black star. If you want to come back I'd love to have your company. I'll make sure Black star is out of the way and you won't even have to see him. Well, if I don't hear from you I hope you have a good night!_

"_Next unheard message:_

"_MAKAA! It's your Papa! Calling to tell you I love you and I hope-_

"_Message deleted. Next unheard message:_

"_Maka….Please… when you get this… call me… I can't find you…. I'm worried."_

It sounded like that should have been the end of the call but then she heard a lot of rustling, then banging on a door, then.. Kid's voice? She faintly heard their conversation, but Soul's outburst at his realization that he left Maka in the apartment was loud enough for her to hear. She heard him yelling "no!" repeatedly and admitting fault. She was stunned and took a moment to comprehend what she just heard. _Have I really been that selfish to not realize Soul was indeed searching for me?_

Spirit entered the room, along with the doctor. "Maka~ are you ready to come home with Papa?" he sang.

"I need to go over your discharge instructions first," the doctor interrupted. He began with the instructions for her pain medicine, and then moved on to explain the expected healing processes for her broken leg and sprained ankle and wrists. She should stay bed-ridden as much as possible until her sprained ankle can support her weight, seeing as she can't stand on her broken leg. In reality, Maka wasn't listening to any of this but was instead replaying the voicemail she just listened to over and over again.

After the doctor left, she looked at her father. "Papa? Can we go to Black star and Tsubaki's house first, please?"

"If that's what you want. Anything for my little Maka! Oh, and then we can get ice cream!" he cooed. He was still infatuated with the fact he let her pick her up from the hospital.

…At Black star and Tsubaki's house…

Spirit knocked on the door with one hand while his other arm helped support Maka, who was standing unsteadily on her crutches. Tsubaki answered the door. "Oh, good evening Mr. Albarn, Maka. I'm glad to see you're out of the hospital!"

"Tsubaki, is Soul here?" Maka asked. Tsubaki and Spirit were both alarmed.

"Yes, he's in the living room," she responded with a worried look and slowly opened the door to its fullest. Maka slowly entered and could see Soul sitting in a chair, spaced out, and looking depressed.

Soul looked up and saw her in the door way. "Maka!" he said surprisingly and suddenly stood up.

"I heard your voice mail," Maka began with a stubborn look on her face, "I heard everything."

"Everything?" Soul asked, not quite understanding.

"You thought you had hung up but I heard you talk to Kid, and then I heard your little outburst," she said with spite.

Soul's eyes widened in surprise. His initial reaction was to be embarrassed someone heard his deepest feelings. _That's so not cool,_ he thought. Then he became slightly angry Maka was handling it this way.

"How much did you hear? I mean, where did it end?" he hesitantly asked.

"You admitted you were the one at fault!" She shouted and her weakened leg gave out from under her. Her wrists were also in too much pain to be able to support her weight by themselves, but before Spirit or Tsubaki could help Soul already leapt forward and caught her.

"Really?! THAT'S what you're going to focus on from that tirade I had? You didn't hear the next part about how sorry I was and how much I care for you?!" Soul said angrily. There was a brief moment of silence.

"Sorry," Maka said sheepishly as she stared at the ground. Soul offered more support so she could look him in the eye.

"Don't be sorry for me," Soul said in all seriousness. "You've been through too much and it's all because I've been a bad partner, no a bad friend. I shouldn't have said those things to you and I should have double checked your room before I left the apartment."

"Soul I.." she began as her eyes began to water. "I was too blinded by my anger to realize you wouldn't purposefully leave me behind!" she cried and threw her arms around him.

"It's OK, Maka. I can certainly forgive you for that." He hugged her back. "I only hope you can someday forgive me."

"Soul, you're my partner and best friend. I acted too hastily and let our trivial fight from before the fire influence my reaction to you not saving me," Maka reasoned.

Soul laughed. "That fight? I can't remember any of it. I'm just so glad you're OK and talking to me again." Soul hugged her tighter and then helped her take a seat on the couch.

"OK, Maka, don't you think it's time to go home with Papa?" Spirit pleaded.

"Papa, I'd like to stay here, if that's OK with you of course, Tsubaki."

"Well of course!" Tsubaki smiled.

"I trust Soul will be able to take care of me." She smiled at him. He gave her his signature grin and a thumbs up back.

Black star jumped into the room. "Maka will be rooming with us, too? YAHOO!"

"Damn you, Soul! You couldn't just leave well enough alone!" Spirit shouted while grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and shaking him.

* * *

AN: So... that's all I had originally planned. My first completed fic! I hope it ended well enough. For this fic I tried keeping everyone in-character, so that's why there's no kissy-kissy "I love you so much" mess. However, I'm actually a pretty big KiMa fan, so I have planned a sequel that will be a KiMa fic. (Actually, you can thank author-144 for persuading me to turn this KiMa) Obviously, some people are going to have to be OOC a bit so that's why I'm separating the two. When I get that one started I will post a "chapter" here though to notify anyone interested in the KiMa that it's up. If you don't like KiMa, well you don't have to read it and this is the end of the story for you. Hope you liked it! :)


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